Mike Ditka'S MOCK DRAFT
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Mike Ditka'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 6, 2026

Lovie Smith

  • Mike Ditka DRAFTING FOR THE
    Bears
Draft Selections
Malachi Lawrence Head Shot
PICK: 43 RND: 2 (CHI)
Malachi Lawrence
DE-EDGE UCF
Anthony Hill Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 46 RND: 2 (CHI)
Anthony Hill Jr.
LB Texas
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren Head Shot
PICK: 57 RND: 2 (CHI)
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
S Toledo
Lee Hunter Head Shot
PICK: 72 RND: 3 (CHI)
Lee Hunter
DT Texas Tech
Ted Hurst Head Shot
PICK: 89 RND: 3 (CHI)
Ted Hurst
WR Georgia State
Mike Washington Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 95 RND: 3 (CHI)
Mike Washington Jr.
RB Arkansas
Keylan Rutledge Head Shot
PICK: 116 RND: 4 (CHI)
Keylan Rutledge
OG Georgia Tech
Max Llewellyn Head Shot
PICK: 129 RND: 4 (CHI)
Max Llewellyn
DE-EDGE Iowa
VJ Payne Head Shot
PICK: 171 RND: 5 (CHI)
VJ Payne
S Kansas State
Zane Durant Head Shot
PICK: 191 RND: 6 (CHI)
Zane Durant
DT Penn State
Nick Barrett Head Shot
PICK: 239 RND: 7 (CHI)
Nick Barrett
DL South Carolina
Draft Picks Received
Malachi Lawrence Head Shot
PICK: 43 RND: 2 (MIA)
Malachi Lawrence
DE-EDGE UCF
Anthony Hill Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 46 RND: 2 (TB)
Anthony Hill Jr.
LB Texas
Lee Hunter Head Shot
PICK: 72 RND: 3 (CIN)
Lee Hunter
DT Texas Tech
Mike Washington Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 95 RND: 3 (NE)
Mike Washington Jr.
RB Arkansas
Keylan Rutledge Head Shot
PICK: 116 RND: 4 (TB)
Keylan Rutledge
OG Georgia Tech
VJ Payne Head Shot
PICK: 171 RND: 5 (NE)
VJ Payne
S Kansas State
Zane Durant Head Shot
PICK: 191 RND: 6 (NE)
Zane Durant
DT Penn State
Draft Picks Traded
KC Concepcion Head Shot
PICK: 25 RND: 1 (NE)
KC Concepcion
WR Texas A&M
A.J. Haulcy Head Shot
PICK: 60 RND: 2 (MIA)
A.J. Haulcy
S LSU
Diego Pavia Head Shot
PICK: 241 RND: 7 (MIA)
Diego Pavia
QB Vanderbilt
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (LV)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Grade — Bears
Overall B
ValueB- NeedB TradesA- FutureC+
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Bears a B.

The Bears torched the value chart for Malachi Lawrence, taking him 28 spots sooner than anyone had him slotted.

Landing Hunter that late papers over a lot of smaller sins. Leaving cornerback unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. Small wins on the phones, but wins all the same.

The weekend tilted hard toward the defense.

All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.

Pick Analysis
Pick43 Rnd2 Malachi Lawrence
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Malachi Lawrence well ahead of where he belonged. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick46 Rnd2 Anthony Hill Jr.
Anthony Hill Jr. in No. 46 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick57 Rnd2 Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Good price on Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in the Round 2 slot, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Pick72 Rnd3 Lee Hunter
The board fumbled Lee Hunter all the way to pick No. 72, and they scooped it up. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick89 Rnd3 Ted Hurst
They took Ted Hurst at par in the 89th pick, which is nothing to complain about. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick95 Rnd3 Mike Washington Jr.
Mike Washington Jr. at the 95th overall pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick116 Rnd4 Keylan Rutledge
Keylan Rutledge at the 116th pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick129 Rnd4 Max Llewellyn
This one needs a full-page explanation: Max Llewellyn in slot 129, miles early. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick171 Rnd5 VJ Payne
A wild overpay on VJ Payne in the Round 5 slot, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Pick191 Rnd6 Zane Durant
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Zane Durant at pick 191. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick239 Rnd7 Nick Barrett
A reach for Nick Barrett in No. 239; a little patience would have been rewarded. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.